Comrades In Arms
by Mirime Kisarrastine
Summary: The Captains of the Magical Force Units were an odd bunch, especially the respective Captains of the First and Second Units. But they still had bonds of camaraderie between them. Panther Lily and Erza Knightwalker friendship fic. Mostly pre-Edolas arc.


Panther Lily and Erza Knightwalker friendship fic. Because I want and can do it. Major spoilers for Edolas arc. Some hinting at Lily/Shagotte but pretty much gen.

**Disclaimer:** Hiro-kun's playbox. I'm just borrowing them.

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><p>The first time Panther Lily met Erza Knightwalker, she was sixteen and had just been assigned the command of the Second Magical Force Unit. The success of the First Unit under Lily's command had made enough of an impact for an agreement to be given to boost the Forces, even if it meant giving more magic to the military. If Second Unit proved to be effective, another would be added and so on.<p>

Lily looked at the tall girl that could be barely considered an adult by human standards and found that she was nothing like what he had expected. There were women in the military, of course, but they did their best to blend in, to become "one of the guys", so to speak. There was no enhancing of their femininity, their armor and equipment didn't differ from men's and Lily thought Erza would be the same.

She proved him wrong on every point.

He had learned enough of the human culture to know that the girl was exceptionally beautiful. She wore her red hair long and styled in a becoming ponytail, her armor could barely be classified as one, accentuating her female form instead of covering it and even her haughty and proud bearing set her apart from the others. She gave him a nod of respect upon their introduction and offered her hand, her grip firm and confident. She was a warrior through and through and Lily wondered just where had Faust found her.

"Captain Lily."

"Captain Knightwalker."

A short, terse exchange to the outsiders. But they exchanged all the information they needed in the measuring glances they gave each other and the single handshake. They recognized the other for what they were and they knew they would be able to work together in the future without any trouble. As far as first impressions went, theirs were satisfactory.

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><p>There was a speculation among the soldiers that the real purpose of Captain Knightwalker's armor was to distract her opponents with her body so she could cut them down easily. The very first training session proved them wrong.<p>

The showing of her skin was certainly on purpose but a vastly different one. It was doubtful that an Exceed would show a physical interest in her anyway, no matter how dressed or undressed she was. No, the new Captain merely grinned and as she leveled her spear in challenge at the large humanoid and shouted out a command, the magic hidden within her weapon enveloped her, clinging to her skin and enhancing her body.

The two weapons clashed at speeds rarely seen as the two Captains fought back and forth. The Exceed had an advantage of size and strength but the red-haired warrior was faster and more nimble. Her ponytail was a blur of red that streaked behind her form as she circled her opponent, looking for an opening. She was good, Lily acknowledged with a rarely seen respect as they both came to a stop, having landed nothing more than a few glancing blows at each other.

"Not bad, Captain," Lily remarked. Erza tossed her head back, a small arrogant grin at her lips.

"Likewise," she replied. She slung her spear across her shoulders. "A draw?" she suggested.

"Yes, a draw," Lily agreed as his sword shrunk back. They shook hands again and then Erza turned to the members of her unit.

"Let's move it, soldiers. We're doing fighting drills until the noon."

Lily chuckled to himself as the soldiers twice the girl's age fell into a formation without any protest. After seeing what exactly she was capable of, they would be fools to challenge her authority.

"So, what do you think of her?" Faust, who until then had stood unseen behind the circle of soldiers, asked.

"She shows promise," the Exceed said, glancing at the young woman as she shouted her orders. "She is already a great fighter but I have to wait and see what kind of a commander she makes."

"Don't worry about that now. I'm putting her in charge of the mage hunting which will free you up to do other things."

Lily glanced sharply at his ruler, the second one he had served and who, unlike the first one, was firmly in command of his land.

"What kind of things?"

"There are still lands to be subdued. Report to Byro. He will give you the details."

Bowing slightly, Panther Lily watched as the King of Edolas left the training grounds. Yes, that man was in command of his land but Lily was starting to doubt whether Faust could control his greed. But it was not Lily's place to question his orders. That had gotten him into a trouble before and he was not about to repeat his mistakes. He served Edolas now and he would remember that, if only for the sake of that small child he had saved a long time ago.

"I wonder where you are now, my Prince," he whispered to himself as he set out to find the Chief of Staff to receive his orders.

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><p>It felt good to return to his adoptive home, Lily realized as he and the rest of his unit set down at the grounds behind the palace. His wings disappeared as he watched his men climb down from their Legyons, all relieved to be back in the Royal City. He gave short orders and left to report. As he walked the palace corridors, another figure fell into step with him.<p>

"Captain Lily, welcome back."

"Captain Knightwalker," he returned her greeting. "Or should I say, Fairy Hunter?"

"So the nickname has spread, huh?" Erza asked with a low laugh. Lily glanced at her. It was hard to tell but she seemed even more confident now than all those months ago when they had first met.

"Yes. The rumours must have reached all of Edolas by now."

"Well, if my reputation helps out with my task, then people are welcomed to talk."

"They also say you are unnecessary brutal."

She didn't stop but her face tightened a bit.

"The civillians have no idea what is really necessary for the sake of our mission."

"Our mission?" Lily asked, not sure just what this young woman believed in.

"To unite the whole world under the Edolas banner and then guide it into a new age of prosperity and happiness after we secure an inexhaustible source of magic via the Anima project."

There was something disturbing about hearing Faust's words coming out of her mouth but the zealous conviction in her face left no doubt in Lily's mind that this was something that Erza truly believed in.

"And you will do anything in your power to make that vision come true, won't you, Captain?"

"Of course. Won't you?" she looked at him as if trying to read his mind.

"Edolas is my home now. I will serve it to the best of my abilities."

It was a careful answer but Erza didn't seem to notice.

"Then we understand each other."

"Yes, we do," Lily agreed as they came to a stop in front of a massive door that led to Byro's office. "I'll see you around, Captain Knighwalker."

"Maybe we could have a spar later on?" she suggested and then she quirked her lips in a mischievous grin. "I haven't had a good challenge since I killed Fairy Tail's Master."

Though slightly disturbed by her words, Lily merely nodded.

"I'll look forward to that."

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><p>Erza Knightwalker was a sadist, Lily came to realize. She was brutal when she didn't have to be and by her own admission enjoyed causing pain to others. But there was no denying the fact that she was very effective when it came to her duties. Edolas came first and last with her. She served her homeland with a passion that made Lily's heart clench everytime he saw its proof. He had used to be that passionate about Extalia as well and he couldn't help but wonder if she would lose her ideals just as he had lost his own. And if such an event came to pass, what would be the breaking point for her.<p>

Lily wouldn't say that he and Erza were friends. But they were comrades, bound by the common service and purpose. Those bonds of comradeship were strengthened even more by their status as the resident oddities. Being an unnaturally large Exceed who lived among humans and the only female commander who was moreso still in her teens didn't make it easy for anyone to get close to them. And they didn't encourage a familiarity either. As two of the highest ranking officials of the kingdom they didn't have many peers. It was this half-isolation that had them seeking each other's company in those rare times that they were both free of their duties. They would have a spar and then talk over a cup of tea, very rarely a mug of ale or something stronger. They avoided the personal topics, though, sticking instead to a talk of strategy or current events. Though occasionaly, a different topic would rise.

"He got me out of a prison," Erza said as she swirled the wine in her glass, not looking at Lily at all.

"What?" Lily frowned at her, wondering if he had had one too many glasses of wine as he had no idea what she was talking about.

"King Faust. You asked where he had found me. I was in a prison. In Garana. I was supposed to be this dangerous threat to a state security," she snorted at the memory. "I was barely fourteen at the time."

"Why did they think so?" Lily watched as the young woman before him got lost in her memories.

"My father was a Lieutenant in the Edolas army. He came into Garana during the first occupation, met my mother and decided to stay behind. He was the one who taught me how to fight, the basics at least. My mother died during my birth so it was just my father and me. He raised me as an Edolan, even though we lived in Garana. It was okay until the uprising. Father refused to join, still loyal to Edolas even after all those years. They executed him as a traitor and had me watch, thinking it would break me. Were they in for a surprise," she was grinning but it had an unstable quality to it, like she was poised on a brink of her sanity and a slightest push would tip her over.

"What happened?"

"They ordered me to swear loyalty to them. I swore an oath to fight for Edolas instead. One of the guards hit me," Erza smirked a bit. "They had my hands tied in front of me and my legs were free. I crushed his throat with my elbow. I broke another guard's ribs with a kick. I actually killed one of them by smashing his nose's cartilege into his brain. They kept me in an isolation afterwards, scared of the 'Demon Child'."

"How long were you kept imprisoned?"

Erza shrugged and drained her glass.

"Several months. Then the uprising was suppressed and I was released. The rumours had reached the King and he offered me a training and a subsequent position and rank among his soldiers. Serving Edolas is all I have ever wanted. How could I refuse?"

Lily nodded and refilled the glasses. Erza looked expectantly at him.

"Well?" she asked.

"What is it?"

"What's your story? How you came to be in Edolas' service? I shared mine and now it's your turn."

She was right, of course. It was Lily's turn to share a bit of his past with her, to return the slight trust she had showed him by telling him about herself.

"I was exiled from Extalia for breaking the most crucial law of the Exceeds. I saved a life of a human. Shag- the Queen decreed that my life would be spared but I had to leave my life, my station, everything I held dear behind. I was the Captain of the Royal guard. I was entrusted with the life of the most precious of all Exceeds, our Queen. Our God. And because of a pity I felt for that small human boy, I lost it all," Lily looked up, a small smile curving a corner of his lips upwards. "The boy turned out to be Prince Jellal of Edolas. As a reward for saving him, I received a position as his bodyguard, though I was soon given my own command."

"I have heard of the Prince," Erza mused. "How long has it been since his disappearance?"

"Five years," Lily replied, frowning again. "I can only hope he's alright."

"Hmph, he better not be lazing around somewhere," Erza declared. "He's the only heir to the throne, isn't he? He should be here, with his people."

"I'm sure that wherever he is, he's helping others. His Highness has always been very compassionate. I dare say he would make a fine King one day."

"If he ever turns up," there was a clear scepticism in Erza's voice.

"I'm sure he will."

They changed the topic soon after, though the memory of the exchanged words lingered in their minds for a long time.

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><p>The establishment of the Third and Fourth Magical Force Units was done at the same time, as was the appointment of their respective Captains - Hughes for the Third and Sugarboy for the Fourth Units. Erza raised an eyebrow at Sugarboy's color choice but left the peculiar appearance of her new colleagues without a comment. They were just yet another addition to the oddball group that Faust seemed to be gathering in the High Command. The Magical Force Units received more privileges and rights, effectively becoming the extended arm of the King's will that was ready to strike at any given time and place. The world was effectively under Edolas' rule and the few pockets of resistance left stood no chance. It was only a matter of time until the world was truly united.<p>

The two new additions into their ranks changed the limbo where Lily and Erza had come to coexist so easily. New boundaries needed to be drawn, new quirks and peculiarities had to be learned and accepted. It was a shift but they were the best the kingdom had to offer. They adapted, though it wasn't always easy.

"_Aaaaand I know a Louen tavern, _

_where the maids are sweet like wine._

_I come there every night to see them _

_and as I drink they seem to shine._

_Ooooooh, the Louen girls are pretty, _

_the most beautiful in the world._

_They take your heart and money with them _

_and throw you out into the cold._"

There was an outburst of clapping as Hughes finished yet another song in the officers' mess hall. It was the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Edolas' founding and everyone was celebrating. The majority of people was well on their way to being drunk, Hughes being one of them. The crowd that had gathered around his table didn't seem to care that his singing was less than stellar. He was entertaining and that was all that mattered.

Slightly away from the noise and bluster surrounding their fellow Captains - Sugarboy had climbed on the table and he and Hughes were singing a heartfelt rendition of a ballad about a fisherman's daughter and her lover - Lily and Erza sat together, nursing their drinks and trying to enjoy them. Both of them winced as Hughes hit a particularly high note.

"I thought he was already past the age where the voice cracks," Lily commented and Erza snorted into her cup.

"You mean puberty? Yeah, physically he is past that age. Mentally?"

Her elaborate gesture towards the table where Hughes was now swaying back and forth, waving his large mug around, spoke more than any words ever could.

"He's lively," the Exceed offered in his defense. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Erza spoke and then a smile flitted across her face. "He's going to be so hung over in the morning."

"Sugarboy, too," Lily pointed out the pink-wearing Captain who noticed and waved cheerfully back.

"They are morons. Competent but morons nonetheless."

"You are fond of them, Erza."

"Me? Hardly," she denied the accusation but Lily knew better.

"We are comrades, Erza. You and me and Hughes and Sugarboy and Coco and even Byro."

"Byro is a creep."

"No argument there but he's one of us, too."

"He's not," Erza spoke decisively. "He never goes out into the field and neither does Coco. But Coco is young and it can be excused but Byro... he's like a spider. He's more content to sit in the middle of the web and direct the strings, rather than getting involved himself. He can't understand. Those two," she pointed at the inebriated Captains, "can and for that I respect them."

"Sometimes," Lily started slowly, unsure how Erza would take his observation. "Sometimes you are too harsh on the people around you. You expect them to be perfect, to perform according to your standards and you never once stop to think that your standards might be too high for the others."

"I never ask for what I'm not willing to give myself," Erza hissed, not willing to cause a scene but feeling the need to defend herself. "All I expect of the people around me, of my soldiers, is to keep their oath - a complete and total devotion to Edolas, an unbreakable loyalty to their homeland, an utter obedience to their commanders. They swore to do so, I'm not asking them for more than that."

"And you think it's easy?" Lily asked bitterly. "What if that loyalty you demand from them forces them to go against their morals? What if they have to decide between following an order and condemning their soul by doing what they know is wrong or doing the right thing but breaking their oath?"

"Breaking your oath is wrong. Betraying your country is wrong. You choose your loyalties and you stick with them. There's nothing more to that."

"So was I in the wrong?"

"What?"

"I told you my story, Erza. I did everything you just said was wrong so what does that make me?"

Erza looked away.

"Are you loyal to Edolas?"

Lily was silent for a long moment as he thought over his answer, part of him feeling torn between his old and new homes but then the memories and resentment came back and he nodded decisively.

"Yes, I'm loyal to Edolas."

Erza turned then, genuinely smiling for the first time that evening.

"Then that's all that matters. Edolas is the only thing that matters."

And Lily couldn't help but shiver a bit at the depth of conviction in her words. The strange mood that had settled over them was suddenly broken by a new song from the singing duo they had all but forgotten about.

"_With fire-red hair but ice-cold lips_

_She won't give any man a kiss_

_A goddess among poor soldiers_

_She's Captain Erza Knightwalker!_"

Lily barely reacted in time to restrain the enraged woman at his side. Hughes and Sugarboy must have been really drunk if they thought serenading Erza was a good idea. But, Lily had to admit, it was very amusing.

"I'll kill them," Erza swore as she struggled against the firm grip the Exceed had on her. "They're dead. They will never find their bodies."

"_She breaks your bones and kicks your ass_

_Oh yes, she is a feisty lass_

_Every man dreams only of her_."

And every soldier in the room joined in with the last line.

"_She's Captain Erza Knightwalker!_"

No one paid attention to a stream of curses pouring from Erza's mouth but Lily raised an eyebrow at her creativity.

"_She's the Ice Queen of Edolas_

_No man will ever thaw her ice_

_You know if you have seen her glare_

_She's Captain Erza Knightwalker!_

_Her beauty enchants everyone_

_But her sharp tongue will make you run_

_One word is more than you can bear_

_She's Captain Erza Knightwalker!_

_And if you get on her bad side_

_You shouldn't even try to hide_

_Famous as the Fairy Hunter_

_She's Captain Erza Knightwalker!_"

It was mercifully over and while Hughes and Sugarboy were busy accepting the applause and calls for an encore, Lily had to literally drag his colleague from the mess hall.

"Calm down, Erza. It was just a harmless song."

"That travesty should have been stopped after the first verse," Erza shouted but as Lily put more distance between them and the two cuplrits, she started to calm down.

"You can't kill them over a song, Erza."

"I know," she deflated. "But we are doing an early drill, full armor. Testing the cannons, too. And the aerial drills are overdue as well."

Lily started laughing.

"You are going to make them suffer, aren't you?"

"That's what I do best."

They were walking side by side by now, the noise from the mess hall barely noticeable.

"You are fond of them," Lily said again and Erza sighed.

"I guess so. You were right, Lily. We are comrades. Even if those two are annoying and you are right more often than I'd like and Coco needs to stop running around so much. I'm fond of all of you."

"It's mutual, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Erza looked straight ahead before speaking tentatively, a rare occurence with her. "What we talked about before, the loyalty and oaths..."

"Yes?" Lily prompted.

"You said that following an order might condemn your soul. But what is a soul worth if you fail your duty? How can saving your soul ever erase the dishonour of breaking the oath?"

"I think that's for everyone to decide for themselves."

"I already did," she stated. "I will never betray Edolas. I will never fail to carry out an order. And I will punish everyone who does so, no matter who they are."

"Even your comrades?" Lily asked.

"Especially them. Because they should know better," she shook her head as if to chase away bad thoughts. "Let's have a quick spar before calling it a night, okay?"

"Sure. Lead the way."

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><p>When the events came to a climax with the Anima and Fairy Tail, Lily thought back to that night that had passed almost two years earlier. He remembered the words exchanged that night, he remembered his own doubts over his divided loyalties and he remembered the certainty of Erza's own words. And even as he fell down from the sky, the wound in his torso bleeding at an alarming rate and the young Exceed who was supporting him chattering woriedly in his ear, he found himself at peace.<p>

Erza had warned him and he would be disappointed in her if she failed to deliver on her threat. He had made his decision, choosing his soul over his orders as he had always been prone to do and it brought him full circle, back to Extalia's side. Back to Shagotte's side.

There was a clash that echoed in the sky and he knew Erza was fighting. Fighting for Edolas and for what she believed in. And as Lily realized that part of him hoped she would win, he couldn't help but chuckle at the irony. Yes, his loyalties would always be divided, just like his heart.

"Lily!" he recognized the frantic voice calling for him and he turned his head to the young man whom he barely remembered as the small child that was the reason for his strange life journey.

"Your Highness."

The Prince knelt next to him, looking just as battered as Lily himself but tending to Lily's wounds regardless. They heard the sounds of battle coming from all sides, as Fairy Tail clashed with Edolas' forces. But in that clearing, with only the fallen Captain, the traitorous Prince and the innocent Exceed present, a peace reigned for a moment or two.

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><p>Fairy Tail was different, Lily realized very quickly but he liked that. Gajeel was clingy which was somewhat embarrassing but the speed at which the rest of the guild accepted him stunned the Exceed. It took him and Erza several months to go past the formality of their titles. Here, he was on first name basis with a majority of people within the first day. The guild was warm and Lily felt like he might have finally found a place to belong in. But there were things to be done first.<p>

He climbed on the table so he could take a look around. Losing his size was the only downside to the whole experience, he decided. Catching a sight of a familiar shade of red, Lily made his way to the Earthland counterpart of Erza Knightwalker. She was eating a sweet confection of some sort and he waited until she was done, having been warned by the others to do so.

"Erza Scarlet?" he asked just for form.

"Yes. And you are Panther Lily, right?" at his nod, she offered her hand. "Pleased to meet you and welcome to the guild."

"Thank you," he replied and climbed on the bench next to her. "You fought the other Erza, I heard," he came straight to the point.

"Yes. What of it?"

"Who won?"

She looked at him suspiciously and he was instantly reminded of the Erza he knew.

"Why do you ask?"

"She was a comrade of mine. I would even call her a friend," he admitted, glancing at her to gauge her reaction. She frowned.

"She shot you."

"Yes."

"And you don't mind?"

"She wouldn't be the Erza I had known for four years if she hadn't done it. She loved Edolas over everything else. You don't see a devotion like that very often."

"No, you don't," Erza agreed. "Fairy Tail is like that for me," she volunteered.

"So deep down..."

"... we are the same Erza," Erza finished and smiled wistfully before continuing. "Neither of us won. We exhausted each other and the finishing blow never landed."

"So, she might be alright."

"I'm sure she is."

Lily nodded to himself and hearing Gajeel's voice calling for him, jumped off the bench.

"Thank you for your time, Erza."

"You're welcome, Lily."

The familiarity of the exchange prompted him to turn and ask.

"I can still change into my other form. Would you be up for a spar some time?"

She smiled and nodded.

"Sure. Anytime you're ready."

He grinned back at her and walked off. He would form new bonds with his new comrades, he was sure of that. But it didn't mean he would forget the old ones. After all, he was always one to choose his soul over his orders. And his soul wouldn't be complete without the memories of his fellow Edolas Captains, especially the first one he had met.

"Wherever you are, Erza, I hope you'll be happy," he whispered quietly to himself before letting the bustle of the guild wash over him and take away his nostalgia for the time being.

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><p><strong>AN:** I am very proud of this piece. I had the first five paragraphs written since March and then I sat down and finish the rest within cca six hours. I'm running on three hours of sleep but it was worth it. Sorry for the crappy songs, though. I suck at lyrics writing as much as Mashima (he mentioned it in volume 4 or 5, I believe). _Divided We Stand_ will be updated within a week. I had some essays for school and then I hit a bit of a writer's block but it's all clear now, hopefully. See you around.


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